Teaching Resources
Teaching environmental issues in your classroom is a critical component of providing your students a Meaningful Watershed Educational Experience. Discover a wealth Chesapeake Bay related books, multimedia, curriculum guides, individual lesson plans and online data sources.
Begin by choosing the criteria for your search. It is only necessary to include the criteria you wish to use to limit your search. The more specific your search the more focused and narrow the results.
If you know of a great teaching resource that is not included in the Bay Backpack please let us know by suggesting a resource.
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Type
Alignment
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Keywords
- All Keywords
- acid rain
- adaptation
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- aquatic grass SAV
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- water cycle and movement
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> habitat and niche Youth Action Guide for the Study and Stewardship of Community Riparian Areas
Holding onto the GREEN Zone is an Earth Science and life science curriculum with a focus on science inquiry and experiential learning. Using questioning, analysis,observation, and investigation,learners will enhance their knowledge of science, boost their critical thinking skills, learn the importance of preserving and restoring vital riparian ecosystems, and have fun. When young people become involved in investigating the GREEN
Zone, they are better prepared to take action
on local watershed issues now and in the future.
They also gain the opportunity to exercise
their rights and responsibilities as citizens and
community members. Both a leader guide and a student action guide are provided. Correlations are provided to National Science Education Content Standards, NAAEE Excellence in Environmental Education—Guidelines for Learning, and 4-H Youth Development Guidelines.
Subject(s):
Mathematics, Science
Type(s):
Curriculum Guide, Lessons and Activities
Level(s):
Elementary School, Middle School, High School
Aligned with the following standard(s):
National Science Education
Keywords:
pollution, point source, non-point source, water cycle and movement, photosynthesis, wetland, land use, food web, adaptation, watershed, agriculture, development, stormwater, air pollution and fossil fuels, aquatic grass SAV, ecosystem and biomes, erosion, experiments and investigations, forest, habitat and niche, identification, sediment, soil and rocks, water quality, student action
Green Eggs and Sand
Green Eggs and Sand is a Tri-State Horseshoe Crab/Shorebird Education Program. The curriculum, designed for middle and high schools students, was developed by coastal managers and teachers from Maryland, New Jersey, and Delaware. Teacher workshops are held on the spawning of the horseshoe crab, the interrelationships with other species and how management decisions are made. The first three curricular modules were designed so you can introduce your students to the lives of horseshoe crabs, their extraordinary history, ecological niche, and interrelationships with other species. The fourth and culminating module integrates all this information to prepare students to confront the multi-faceted challenge of managing horseshoe crabs, a natural resource. Parts of this curriculum may be used independently. Optional extension activities are included to increase your flexibility. The curriculum interdisciplinary with lessons that integrate one or more of the following subjects: history, science, language arts, reading, and math.
Subject(s):
Language Arts, Mathematics, Science, Social Studies
Type(s):
Curriculum Guide, Lessons and Activities
Level(s):
Middle School, High School
Aligned with the following standard(s):
Maryland,
National Science Education
Keywords:
food web, habitat and niche, predator prey relationships, restoration, wildlife
Virtual Tour of the Smithsonian Marine Ecosystems Exhibit
The Smithsonian Marine Ecosystems Exhibit in Florida features six aquarium displays depicting important ecosystems of the Indian River Lagoon and surrounding coastal waters. The highlight of the exhibit is a 3,300-gallon model of a Caribbean coral reef.
Can't afford to take your students to Florida? No problem! This online resource includes a virtual tour and webcams that allows students to explore a Coral Reef, Oculina Reef, Nearshore, Hardbottom, Mangrove, and Seagrass Model Ecosystems.
This may not strictly be a Chesapeake Bay resource, but if you are teaching about ecosystems, marine environments, or ecology this website is worth checking out. It has some good information and would make an interesting, educational short activity or lesson supplement.
Subject(s):
Science
Type(s):
Multimedia
Level(s):
Middle School, High School
Aligned with the following standard(s):
National Science Education
Keywords:
aquatic grass SAV, habitat and niche, fish
What Affects Dead Zones Activity
Students will explore scenarios in real datasets to investigate how physics and biology interact to produce Dead Zones of various sizes and durations. Further questioning will challenge students to apply their new knowledge of Dead Zones to real life questions.
Subject(s):
Mathematics, Science
Type(s):
Lessons and Activities
Level(s):
High School
Aligned with the following standard(s):
National Science Education
Keywords:
pollution, habitat and niche, water quality, dissolved oxygen
Habitat Squeeze and Hypoxia Activity
This exercise demonstrates how dead zones can create a “habitat squeeze” for aquatic organisms. Students will understand how physical factors influence where an organism can live; students will understand how dead zones can lead to a decrease in the amount of suitable habitat available to aquatic organisms.
Subject(s):
Science
Type(s):
Lessons and Activities
Level(s):
High School
Aligned with the following standard(s):
National Science Education
Keywords:
habitat and niche, fish, dissolved oxygen
Give Me Shelter Sea Grass Activity
Students observe the feeding behavior and success rate of blue gill feeding on brine shrimp in two different environments; one with seagrass and one without. Students will gain a better understand of the following ecological service provided by underwater grasses: underwater grasses provide shelter for wildlife.
Subject(s):
Science
Type(s):
Lessons and Activities
Level(s):
High School
Aligned with the following standard(s):
National Science Education
Keywords:
food web, aquatic grass SAV, habitat and niche, wildlife, fish
Dead Zones and Coastal Eutrophication PowerPoint Presentation
This PowerPoint presentation discusses the causes and consequences of dead zones.
Subject(s):
Science
Type(s):
Multimedia
Level(s):
High School
Aligned with the following standard(s):
National Science Education
Keywords:
pollution, land use, development, habitat and niche, water quality, fish, dissolved oxygen
Sea Grasses Online Learning Module
Take a Center for Ocean Sciences Education Excellence Modules Tour to learn more about seagrasses, the trends these plants are experiencing, and what kind of seagrass research scientists are working on. Learn how these vast "prairies" of underwater grass form complex ecosystems that are very important, not only to the health of their surrounding marine environment but to people as well.
Subject(s):
Science
Type(s):
Multimedia
Level(s):
High School
Aligned with the following standard(s):
National Science Education
Keywords:
aquatic grass SAV, habitat and niche
Growing Up WILD: Exploring Nature with Young Children Activity Guide
Growing Up WILD is an early childhood education program that builds on children’s sense of wonder about nature and invites them to explore wildlife and the world around them. Through a wide range of activities and experiences, Growing Up WILD provides an early foundation for developing positive impressions about the natural world and lifelong social and academic skills.
Subject(s):
Art, Language Arts, Mathematics, Science, Social Studies
Type(s):
Curriculum Guide
Level(s):
Early Learning
Aligned with the following standard(s):
National Science Education
Keywords:
ecosystem and biomes, habitat and niche, wildlife
Submerged Aquatic Education Lesson
In this activity, you will design an experiment to investigate how various factors affect the health of one of the Bay's most important habitats, aquatic grass beds. You will use this information to determine what could be done to help SAV in your area.
Subject(s):
Science
Type(s):
Lessons and Activities
Level(s):
Middle School, High School
Aligned with the following standard(s):
National Science Education
Keywords:
aquatic grass SAV, habitat and niche, restoration
Project WILD Curriculum Guide
The Project WILD Curriculum Guide emphasizes aquatic wildlife and aquatic ecosystems. Each Project WILD Aquatic activity contains all the information needed to conduct that activity including objectives, method, background information, a list of materials needed, procedures, evaluation suggestions, recommended grade levels, subject areas, duration, group size, setting, and key terms.
Subject(s):
Art, Language Arts, Mathematics, Science, Social Studies, Technology
Type(s):
Curriculum Guide
Level(s):
Early Learning, Elementary School, Middle School, High School
Aligned with the following standard(s):
Maryland,
Virginia,
New York,
West Virginia,
District of Columbia,
Delaware,
National Science Education,
Pennsylvania
Keywords:
adaptation, biodiversity, water and energy conservation, habitat and niche, predator prey relationships, schoolyard habitat, wildlife
Project WET Curriculum and Activity Guide
The Project WET Curriculum and Activity Guide is a collection of over 90 science-based, interdisciplinary activities and lesson plans that emphasizes the importance of our water resources. These activities and lessons are teacher-tested and classroom ready for K-12 students.
Subject(s):
Art, Language Arts, Mathematics, Science, Social Studies, Technology
Type(s):
Curriculum Guide
Level(s):
Early Learning, Elementary School, Middle School, High School
Aligned with the following standard(s):
Maryland,
Virginia,
New York,
West Virginia,
District of Columbia,
Delaware,
National Science Education,
Pennsylvania
Keywords:
pollution, watershed, biodiversity, ecosystem and biomes, habitat and niche, water quality, wildlife
